diff --git a/abs b/abs
--- a/abs
+++ b/abs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 ABS_VERSION="2.4.3"
 CONFDIR="/etc/"
 SYNCCMD='rsync'
-SYNCARGS='-mrtv --no-motd --delete-after --no-p --no-o --no-g'
+SYNCARGS0='-mrtv --no-motd --delete-after --no-p --no-o --no-g'
 BUG_REPORT_EMAIL=pacman-dev@archlinux.org
 
 ##
@@ -55,10 +55,10 @@
 }
 
 ##
-# Source configuration
+# Configuration file
 ##
 if [ -f "$CONFDIR/abs.conf" ]; then
-	source "$CONFDIR/abs.conf"
+	CONFFILE="$CONFDIR/abs.conf"
 else
 	error "Could not find configuration file $CONFDIR/abs.conf"
 	exit $_E_CONFIG_ERROR
@@ -67,7 +67,13 @@
 ##
 # User based overrides
 ##
-[ -f ~/.abs.conf ] && source ~/.abs.conf
+[ -f ~/.abs.conf ] && CONFFILE=~/.abs.conf
+
+##
+# Source configuration
+##
+source $CONFFILE
+SYNCARGS="${SYNCARGS0} ${SYNCARGS}"
 
 ##
 # Helper functions
@@ -85,7 +91,7 @@
 	echo
 	echo "abs will synchronize PKGBUILD scripts from the Arch Linux repositories"
 	echo "into $ABSROOT via rsync. If no argument is given, abs will synchronize"
-	echo "the repositories specified in ${CONFDIR}abs.conf."
+	echo "the repositories specified in ${CONFFILE}."
 	echo
 	echo "Report bugs to $BUG_REPORT_EMAIL with [ABS] in the subject"
 }